Essential Elements for Plant Growth

List of Essential Elements

In addition to the essential mineral elements are the beneficial
elements, elements which promote plant growth in many plant species but are
not absolutely necessary for completion of the plant life cycle, or fail to
meet Arnon and Stout's criteria on other grounds. Recognized beneficial
elements are:

Silicon, sodium, cobalt, and selenium

Other elements that have been proposed as candidates for essential or
beneficial elements include chromium, vanadium, and titanium, although strong
evidence is lacking at this time.

Another group is the essential nonmineral elements, elements
taken up as gas or water, which are:

Hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon

Out of all of the many natural elements, essential mineral elements,
essential nonmineral elements, and beneficial elements are not randomly
scattered, but instead cluster in several groups on the periodic chart.